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Saturday, February 18, 2017

The 'music' of words

“You
have your identity when you find out, not what you can keep your mind on, but
what you can't keep your mind off.” – A. R. Ammons

Born on this date in 1926, Ammons
was a North Carolinian who worked as an elementary school principal and as a
glass company executive before turning his full attention to literature – both
teaching and writing.From 1964 to 1998
he taught creative writing at Cornell University while authoring hundreds, if
not thousands, of poems.

Ammons wrote about nature and the
self, themes that had preoccupied Ralph Waldo Emerson and Walt Whitman and that
remained the central focus of his work.His Collected Poems, 1951–1971 (a terrific read) won a National
Book Award.And his Selected Poems is an excellent
introduction to his worksAmmons died in
2001.

“What is poetry?” he was asked.

“Poetry," he replied, "is
the music of words ...

the linguistic correction of
disorder.”

For Saturday’s Poem,

here is
Ammons’

Eyesight

It was May

before my attention

came to spring and

my word I said

to the southern slopes

I've

missed it, it

came and went before

I got right to see:

don't worry, said the mountain,

try the later northern slopes

or if

you can climb,

climb into spring: but

said the mountain

it's not that way

with all things, some

that go are gone

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About Me

In addition to years of writing of news, sports, and feature stories, both as a journalist and in public relations, I've authored seven books (and counting :), a one-act play, and three songs. I also contributed to two published anthologies.

My newest book, the historical novel And The Wind Whispered, has earned top reviews around the nation and a Silver Award in the Historical Fiction category at the 2016 Colorado Book Awards. Check it out on Amazon or Goodreads. It also is available ion both print and e-book formats through all major book outlets.

I enjoy public speaking on the topics of “Telling
an Effective Story,” “Effective Communication,” and “Storytelling – From
Journalism to Creative Writing" and have been an invited speaker at recent Historical Novel Society and Historical Writers of America national conferences. You can access an interview with me on YouTube at this link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g3qNiwWshAM

I retired from Augsburg College (and my wife from St. Olaf College) in 2013 when we moved to Colorado, where I've been working on my books, writing for Broadlands Living magazine, and doing freelance marketing and p.r.